Sewing machine



May '13, 1969 SEWING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1967 Sheet FIG. 4b

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FIG. 6

ATTOMJVS y 3, 1969 E. H. S-CHARMER. JR -3,443,539

SEWING MACHINE Sheeii Filed July 20, 1967 INVENTOR. 504/420 A!.scm-ve/mseaz May 13, 1969 E. H. SCHARMER. JR 3,443,539 I SEWING'MACHINEFiled July 20. 1967 Sheet 3 of 4 [hhlllll 1 INVENTOR; l 041,420 A..SrflAt/lfie at.

BY WM,%6M

May 13,- 1969 v 4 a. H. SCHARMER. JR 3,443,539

' SEWING MACHINE 1 Filed July 20, 1-967 7 Sheet 4 of 4 47"raelvsrsUnited States Patent 3,443,539 SEWING MACHINE Edward H. Scharmer, Jr.,Pine City, Minn., assignor to Doughboy Industries, Inc., New Richmond,Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 20, 1967, Ser. No. 654,873Int. Cl. Db 1/00, 13/00, 1/06 U.S. Cl. 112169 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A portable sewing machine with a reciprocating needle andoscillating looper driven in prefixed phase relationship from a singlepowered eccentric by sensing and applying linear motion produced by thecam in one direction to the reciprocation of the needle and looper, andby sensing and applying linear motion produced by the cam in atransverse direction to the rocking of the looper; and a ring and handleover the center of gravity, the handle having an alternate position infront of the sewing machine.

This invention relates to a sewing machine and, more particularly,relates to a sewing machine of the type having a cooperating needle andlooper as for sewing bags.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved sewingmachine of relative simple and inexpensive operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sewing machine with anovel and improved operating mechanism constructed to minimize servicingand replacement of parts.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improvedsewing machine with the drive mechanisms for the sewing needle andlooper being related so as to eliminate the problems of timing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel, portable sewingmachine which may be alternately handearried or suspended during thestitching of a bag and swung to the work during the sewing operation.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fullyappear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sewing machine and a bag, the top ofwhich is to be immediately stitched;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation view of the operating mechanism of thesewing machine with the housing shown in section and partly broken away,substantially as indicated at 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4a is a diagrammatic view illustrating the needle and looper atnumerous places in the operational cycle, the needle and looper beingviewed from a position substantially identical to that seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is a diagrammatic view of the needle and looper at variouslocations in the operational cycle, as viewed at 4b-4b in FIG. 4a.

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 6-6 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken aproximately at 7--7 in FIG. 2.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawings and is describedherein. In all of the views, excepting FIGS. 4a and 4b, the mechanism isillustrated in full lines in a position representing the start of anoperational cycle, and it will be noted that, in this position, the

ice

needle is withdrawn to the maximum extent from the bag being stitched.

The sewing machine is indicated in general by numeral 10, and is seen tohave a housing 11 with a bag-receiving throughway 12 in the lowerportion thereof. The throughway 12 is open to the front and rear and isopen at the bottom so as to receive the top edge portion of a bag B. Asseen in FIG. 1 the needle 13 and presser foot 14 are disposed in thethroughway 12 to act on the bag as it is stitched and guided in thestitching station in the throughway.

The housing may carry a pair of spools of thread 15 for supplying thethread to the sewing mechanism. Thread guide 16 and tension discs 17 aresuitably arranged on the housing for properly guiding the thread.

At the top of the housing a boss 18 has a ring-shaped fastener 19threaded therein for suspending the sewing machine 10 from a suitableoverhead rod 20 which may be mounted in any suitable manner from theceiling or other overhead frame structure.

The housing 11 also mounts a swingable handle 21 on a stud 22 which alsocarries a spring 23 bearing inwardly against the handle, but permittingthe handle to be tilted slightly on the stud so that an aperture 24 inthe handle may receive or be loosened from one of the lugs 25 afiixed onthe housing 11 for the purpose of retaining the handle 21 forwardly ofthe housing 11 or in the upright position illustrated in dotted line inFIG. 1. Both the handle 21 and the ring 19 are positionedto support thesewing machine 10 from a position directly above the center of gravitythereof so that, when suspended, the sewing machine will hang straight.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that theneedle 13 is removably attached by a fitting 26 to the reciprocableneedle bar 27. The needle bar 27 is mounted in bearings 28 which areaffixed by cap screws 28a to the frame plate 11a which is rigid with thehousing 11. The needle bar 27 is connected to and driven by a swingablyoscillating driving arm 29, by means of a clamp block 30 on the needlebar and a rigid slide rod 31 on the clamp bar. A swiveling ball andsocket bearing 32 connects the rod 31 with the arm 29, and the rodslides in the ball as the arm 29 is swung and the needle bar 27 isreciprocated.

A thread guide bar 29a is affixed on the driving arm 29 and projectsoutwardly through the front of the housing 11 and slot 11b. The rod 29ahas a thread-receiving aperture 29b therein for guiding the threadtoward the needle 13.

The driving arm 29 is mounted on a stationary pivot 33 which is affixedto the frame plate 11a and also carries the tension discs 16. Theopposite end of the driving arm 29 has a thread connector stud 34extending therethru and has swiveling ball and socket bearings 35 and 36affixed thereon. The bearing 35 is affixed to a drive link 37 whichreciprocates at the bearing 35 substantially in the direction of arrow Afor oscillating the drive arm between the full line and dotted linepositions thereof and for reciprocating the needle bar 27 and needle 13between the full line and dotted line positions illustrated in FIG. 2.

The other end of link 37 is affixed to a bearing 38 which surrounds andoscillates with the single needle and looper operating eccentric 39 onthe drive shaft 40. The bearing 38 and the adjacent inner end 37a of thedrive link 37 oscillate in a generally circular orbit as the eccentric39 revolves in a direction of arrow C about the center of shaft 40.

The shaft 40 is mounted in bearings 41 which are affixed to the frameplate 11a; and the shaft 40 is driven by meshed gears 42 from electricmotor 43, also carried on the frame plate.

The reciprocating of drive link 37 in the direction of arrow A is alsoutilized in producing reciprocation of the looper 44 and looper shaft 45in the direction of arrow D. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4b, it should benoted that the looper 45 also has a transverse rocking motion so thatthe overall movement of the looper is in an oblong orbit as particularlyseen in FIG. 4b (as hereintofore more fully described).

The reciprocation of the looper and shaft is produced by a driving link46 connected to the swiveling ball and socket bearing 36. The oppositeend of link 46 is connected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 47 toa stud 48 on a crank arm 49. The crank arm 49 is on a stationary pivot50 comprising a portion of a mounting post and spacer 50a, affixed tothe frame plate 11a. The crank arm 49 has a slide rod 51 aflixed on theother end thereon and slideable through the ball of a swiveling ball andsocket bearing 52 on the end of looper shaft 45. Reciprocation ofdriving link 37 in the direction of arrow A results in reciprocation oflink 46, swinging oscillation of crank arm 49 and reciprocation of theshaft 45 and looper 44.

A rocker arm 53 projects outwardly from the looper shaft 45, and liessubstantially in juxtaposition with the drive link 37. The rocker arm 53is affixed to a clamp block 54 affixed by a set screw on the loopershaft 45 in a predetermined orientation. Rocking of the looper shaft 45causes rotary oscillation thereof in the ball and socket bearings 55which mount the looper shaft and are attached to the frame plate 110.The ball and socket bearings 55 also accommodate longitudinalreciprocation of the looper shaft between the full line and dotted linepositions illustrated in FIG. 2.

The looper 44 has a typical axial bore 44a carrying a thread which isguided thereto through an aperture 56 in the frame plate 11a. The looperthread is supplied to the guide aperture 56 from a thread guide 57 andtension discs 58 on the rear side of frame plate 11a.

The looper 44 lies parallel to but spaced from the axis of looper shaft45 and extends through a mounting block 59 in which the looper isaffixed by a set screw, to facilitate receiving of the looper threadthrough the bore 44a from the guide aperture 56. The mounting block isaffixed on the end of the looper shaft in a predetermined position.

The rocking motion of the looper shaft 45 is supplied through aswiveling ball and socket bearing 60 which connects the rocker arm 53with an extensible link 61 oscillated by a swinging arm or block 62which is mounted on a stationary pivot 62a in the frame plate 11 andlying generally parallel to the drive shaft 40. The frame plate 11a hasan enlarged opening 11c with a notch 11d to accommodate the swinging arm62.

The arm 62 has a rigid cross bar 63 aflixed on the end thereof andconnected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 64 to the extensiblelink 61.

The cross bar 63 is also connected by a swiveling ball and socketbearing 65 to an extensible link 66, the other end of which is connectedby a swiveling ball and socket bearing 67 to the inner end 37a of drivelink 37. It will be noted that the swinging arm 62 and extensible link66 are sensitive to oscillation of the eccentric 39 in the direction ofarrow F as seen in FIG. 5, which is transverse to the reciprocation ofarrow A of drive link 37. The swinging arm 62 oscillates about the pivot62a as indicated in FIG. by dotted lines, and the looper shaft 45 isaccordingly rotatably oscillated to rock the looper in its transversedirection as indicated by the arrow G in FIGS. 4a and 4b.

As a result, it will be understood that the reciprocation of needle 13and of looper 44 is all derived from the single source of motionconsisting in eccentric 39.

The relative positions of the needle and looper at various portions ofthe operational cycle are illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b. The positionsare illustrated at 0, 90, 180 and 270 of an operational cycle. It willbe observed in FIG. 4b that the looper follows an oblong orbit orientedlongitudinally of the looper as the looper moves along and then acrossand around the path of the needle.

The presser foot is mounted on a rod 70 which is continuously urged by aspring 71 bearing against a collar 72 affixed on the rod 70, and tendingto move the presser foot toward the throat plate 73 which is affixed tothe frame of the machine. The rod 70 is carried in slide bearings 73which are afiixed to the frame plate 11a with the bearings 28. Slot 74in the frame plate 11a. guides a slide 75 which is formed integrallywith a collar 76 aflixed on rod 70. The presser foot 14 is therebymaintained in the proper orientation to receive the bags B as theytravel into the stitching station S in the direction of arrow T.

During stitching, motion of the bag is controlled and caused by feed-dog77 extending through a slot 73a in the throat plate for engaging anddrawing the bag beneath the presser foot. The feed-dog 77 oscillates ina conventional orbit under the influence of the feed-dog eccentric 78 onthe shaft 40. A bearing 79 in the feed-dog plate 80 surrounds theeccentric 78 and produces an oscillation of the feed-dog, the motion ofwhich is also controlled by a slide rod 81 affixed on the block 80 andsliding through the ball of a swiveling ball and socket bearing 82 whichis affixed on the frame of the machine.

In the stitching operation with two threads, a lock stitch is produced.By using a slightly different looper, a single thread may be used, andthe looper only holds the needle thread when making a stitch. The threadis then cast off around the needle, and a single thread chain stitchresults.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and novel drive apparatus fora sewing machine wherein the needle bar, needle and looper derive theirreciprocation and the rocking oscillation of the looper from a singleeccentric on the powered drive shaft, sensing the motion of theeccentric in different directions and applying such motions to thereciprocation of the needle and looper in the rocking of the looper,respectively. In the present mechanism there need be no concern withbreakage of parts or faulty operation caused by improper timing becausethe timing is pre-fixed by the construction and operation of the needleand looper drive mechanism.

It will also be seen that when the portable sewing machine is suspendedon the rod, with the center of gravity disposed immediately below therod, the machine may be readily pulled across the bag under theinfluence of the handle which is oriented horizontally and in front ofthe machine, thereby moved with respect to a bag during the stitchingoperation.

What I claim is:

1. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising:

means guiding and moving the bag through a stitching station,

a reciprocating needle bar having a thread-carrying needle moving in apredetermined path through the bag at the stitching station,

an elongate, thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitching station andextending transversely of and in close proximity to the needle whenprojected through the bag, said looper oscillating in an oblong orbitlongitudinally of the looper and across and around the path of theneedle,

a powered drive shaft having a single needle and looper operatingeccentric connected to and orbiting the inner end of an elongate drivelink reciprocating longitudinally, and mechanism connected to the outerend of the drive link and reciprocating the needle bar,

a rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the loopereccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, motiontransmitting linkage between the outer end of the drive link and thelooper shaft and producing reciprocation of the looper shaft andalternate projection and retraction of the looper as the needle isrespectively withdrawn and projected through the bag,

and an oscillating linkage connected between the orbiting inner end ofsaid drive linkand said rocking looper shaft, said oscillating linkagesensing the motion of said inner end in a direction transverse to thelongitudinal reciprocation and producing rocking of said looper shaft totransversely swing the looper alternately across and adjacent the pathof the needle as the looper is respectively projected and retracted.

2. A sewing machine according to claim 1, and said looper shaftextending along the powered drive shaft,

and said oscillating linkage including a swinging arm mounted on astationary pivot adjacent the eccentric, and means connecting said armto the inner end of the drive link to sense the transverse motion of thelink and apply said motion to the looper shaft and cause the transverseswinging of the looper. 3. A sewing machine according to claim 1, andsaid looper shaft extending along said powered drive shaft,

said drive link extending generally parallel to the needle bar,

said motion transmitting linkage including a rigid arm mounted on astationary pivot intermediate the ends of said rigid arm, said endsbeing respectively connected to the drive link and needle bar,

said oscillating linkage including a swinging arm adjacent the inner endof the drive link and at one side thereof to sense the motion of saidinner end in a direction transverse to the longitudinal reciprocation,said swinging arm being on a stationary pivot,

and means connecting the swinging arm to an outwardly projecting arm onthe looper shaft and to the inner end of the drive link to effectrocking of the looper shaft as the looper shaft and needle bar are alsoreciprocated from the effect of said single eccentric.

4. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising means guiding andmoving the bag through a stitching station,

reciprocating needle bar having a thread-carrying needle moving througha predetermined path through the bag at the stitching station,

an elongate, thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitching station andextending transversely of and in close proximity to the needle in anoblong orbit longitudinally of the looper and across and around the pathof the needle,

a powered drive shaft having a single needle and looper operatingeccentric,

a rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the loopereccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, the looper shafthaving a rocker arm aflixed and projecting outwardly therefrom,

and a. pair of reciprocating drive linkages both connected to and drivenby said eccentric, one of said linkages being connected with the needlebar and with the looper shaft for producing reciprocation of both theneedle bar and looper shaft, and the other of said drive linkages beingconnected with the rocker arm on the looper shaft to effect rocking ofthe looper shaft and looper, said pair of drive linkages reciprocatingat the eccentric in directions transversely of each other and inpre-determined phase relationship to each other.

5. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising means guiding andmoving the bag through a stitching station,

a generally horizontal needle bar having a thread-carrying needlereciprocating horizontally to move the needle in a generallypredetermined horizontal path through the bag at the stitching station,

an upright needle bar driving arm on a stationary pivot between theupper and lower ends thereof, the lower end being connected to theneedle bar and swinging to horizontally reciprocate the bar and needle,

a generally horizontal and reciprocating drive link connected to theupper end of the driving arm in widely spaced and juxtaposedrelationship with the needle bar for oscillating the driving arm toreciprocate the needle,

an elongate, depending thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitchingstation and extending transversely of Y and in close proximity to theneedle when projecting through the bag,, said looper oscillating in anupright oblong orbit longitudinally of the looper and across and aroundthe path of the needle,

an upright rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the loopereccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, said loopershaft having a rocker arm thereon and projecting generally toward thedriving arm,

an upright powered drive shaft adjacent and generally parallel to saidlooper shaft and having a single needle and looper operating eccentricrevolving therewith,

an orbiting bearing on the eccentric and extending across the end of thelooper shaft and being connected with the reciprocating drive link foroperating the needle bar,

a swinging arm on a stationary pivot parallel to and adjacent the driveshaft, the arm extending generally toward said driving arm and having afree end adjacent the looper shaft,

a pair of juxtaposed links both connected to the free end of saidswinging arm and respectively to the orbiting bearing and the rocker armof the looper shaft to sense and transmit oscillation of the orbitinghearing in a direction transverse to the reciprocation of said drivelink and effect rocking of the looper shaft and looper in prefixed phaserelationship to the needle,

and a crank arm on a stationary pivot adjacent the looper shaft, one endof said crank arm being connected with the looper shaft andreciprocating the looper shaft, the other end of said crank arm having alink connected to the upper end of said driving arm and in juxtapositionwith said drive link and receiving power therefrom.

6. A portable machine for stitching a bag, comprising a housing with abag-receiving throughway opening in 'fore and aft directions anddownwardly and defining a stitching station,

operating means in the housing and in said throughway for moving,guiding and stitching the bag at said stitching station, said meansincluding a motor, and needle and looper drive mechanisms,

suspending means at the top of the housing for suspending from aposition directly over the center of gravity of the housing andoperating means, and including a stationary fastener afiixed to thehousing and from which the housing may be suspended from above, and saidsuspending means also including a handle mounted on the housing to swingon a horizontal axis to positions above and forwardly of the housing foralternately manually suspending the housing over a bag for stitching thebag and drawing the housing forwardly over a bag during stitching whenthe housing is suspended from above on said fastener,

and releasable means retaining the handle in said alternate positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,827,594 10/1931 Lutz 1l22002,274,508 2/ 1942 Thompson et a1 11211 2,484,495 10/ 1949 Fischbein11211 2,960,946 11/1960 Lutz et a1 112-11 3,034,459 5/1962 Shelley112-169 XR 3,094,955 6/1963 Fischbein et a1. 112-169 XR JAMES R. BOLER,Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

